Listed Building record MDR13114 - St Wystan's Church, Mount Road, Bretby

St Wystan's Church, Mount Road, Bretby, rebuilt in 1877. 'The chapel of Bretby is mentioned in charters of the years 1271 and 1279. Its mother church is Repton. This old chapel was demolished about a year ago (October 1877), and its successor is now nearly completed. From looking at a couple of sketches on the old chapel, it is clear that both the north and south walls were lighted by two square-headed, two-light windows of the Perpendicular period, just below the roof, which had evidently been inserted when the walls were raised in about the 15th century. There was also a debased window and a lancet window on each side of the nave. On the south side was a pointed doorway, as well as a square-headed modern priest's door to the chancel. The three-light east window was of a debased style. A square wooden bell turret, containing two bells, was over the west gable. The old chapel appears to have been erected in the 13th century. Its successor is built on the same foundations, except that there is an addition of an aisle and a vestry on the north side.' (1) 'The present church at Bretby was built in 1877 by T H Wyatt. It is in the perpendicular style. It replaced a medieval, probably 13th century, chapel that was demolished in the 1870s.' (2) 'The chapel was a chapel of ease only to Repton church, the advowson of which was given between 1149 and 1159 by Matilda, countess of Chester, to the covent of Augustian canons founded at Calke before 1100, and subsequently reduced by Matilda to a cell dependent on the priory she founded in Repton in 1172. When the chapel was set up is not known but it was probably served originally by a canon of Calke or Repton. It was mentioned in charters of 1271 and 1279. The tithes of the chapelry went to Repton priory and after the Dissolution of the monasteries were bought by the Berkeley family and sold to Sir Thomas Stanhope when he purchased the manor of Bretby in 1585. The chapel building was pulled down in 1876.' (3) From the National Heritage List for England: 'PARISH OF BRETBY THE GREEN SK 22 SE 2/10 (North West Side) Church of St Wystan II Parish church. Rebuilt in 1877. Irregular coursed sandstone and timber framing to porch and bell tower. Plain tile roofs with decorative ridge cresting. Coped gables with gableted kneelers and cross finials. Chamfered plinth. Nave with bell tower, south porch, chancel, north nave aisle north chapel and north vestry. The south elevation has a gabled timber porch on stone plinth, rebuilt in 1966. Plain pointed arched inner doorway with single chamfer and hoodmould. Plank door with wrought iron hinges. To the left a 2-light window with flat arch and panel tracery, returned hoodmould and segmental relieving arch. To the right of the porch a similar single light window and a 2-light window. The south side of the chancel has four steps with low side walls up to a four-centred arched priests doorway with moulded surround under returned rectangular hoodmould. Decorative cross in a recessed panel above. To the right a round-arched single light window. 3-light east window with panel tracery. Pair of tiny ventilation lancets above. The north side of the chancel has one plain rectangular window. Gabled north vestry has a 2-light trefoil headed window to east and a four-centred arched doorway to the north. A chimney stack rises from the gable. Gabled north chapel has a 3-light window with panel tracery. Lean-to north aisle has two triplets of trefoil headed windows and a 2-light window to west with triangular head. The west elevation of the nave has a 2-light window with reticulation unit, flanked by heavy buttresses using masonry from the previous church. Triplet of tiny lancets above. Rising from the nave roof is a square bell tower with tapering sides and pyramid roof. The lower part shingled, the upper part timber framed, with four trefoil-headed louvred openings to each side. Interior: Three bay north arcade with octagonal piers and moulded arches. Moulded chancel arch, the inner order on corbels with ball flower. The nave roof is a panelled pointed tunnel vault of trefoil section, with castellated tie beams and wall plates. Canted panelled chancel roof. Octagonal font with quatrefoils in the panels. Tiled floors and sumptuous tiled sanctuary with mosaic reredos which has as its centrepiece a C15 Flemish Style painting, a copy of Rogier Van Der Weyden's Deposition set against a naturalistic landscape background derived from other sources. Perp Style parclose screens to the north chapel. Pews, reading desk, pulpit, lectern, communion rails etc, all of c1877. Stained glass: in the east window 1866 by A Gibbs. Sanctuary north and south windows 1868 by Cox & Son. Nave south windows, late C19 with pale colouring. On the chancel south wall a brass to the Ninth Earl of Chesterfield 1866. Organ at the west end by Nicholson & Lord of Walsall. Listing NGR: SK2941223277.' (4)